JP3407850B2 - Image control system and image system using the same - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video control system for displaying images on a plurality of display screens.
The present invention relates to a video control system capable of dividing and displaying a moving image or a still image on a plurality of display screens with high resolution. The invention also relates to a video system using such a system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is an increasing demand for making a large screen of a video display device to present moving images and still images with high definition and power to a large number of spectators. Therefore, a system has been proposed in which a large screen (multi-screen) is formed by using a plurality of display screens and a moving image or a still image is divided and displayed on the plurality of display screens.

In the conventional system, the image information (moving image, still image) from one image source is divided by the image control device and supplied to a plurality of image display devices. Then, a partial image corresponding to the divided video information is displayed on the display screen of each video display device. As a result, a moving image or a still image corresponding to the original video information is enlarged and displayed on the entire plurality of display screens.

[0004]

By the way, the resolution of a moving image or a still image displayed on a display screen depends on the resolution of video information supplied from a video source as long as it is within the capability of the video display device itself. . Therefore, in the conventional system, since the video information from one video source is divided and supplied to the plurality of video display devices, the resolution of the image partially displayed on the screen of each video display device is The resolution will be lower than the resolution of the original video information (entire image).

Further, since the images are displayed on a plurality of display screens based on the video information from one video source, it is impossible to give a free video effect to the images displayed on the respective display screens. Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to provide a video control system capable of displaying a moving image or a still image at a high resolution separately on a plurality of display screens.

A second object is to provide an image control system capable of giving a free image effect to each image which is divided and displayed. Furthermore, a third problem is to provide a video system using the video control system as described above.

[0007]

In order to solve the above first and second problems, the present invention provides a plurality of video sources storing video information and a plurality of the video sources as described in claim 1. In a video control system for controlling a plurality of video display devices which are provided corresponding to respective video sources and display an image corresponding to the supplied video information on a display screen,
Provided corresponding to each of the plurality of video display devices ,
Each image display device the plurality of images based on the image information
Between a plurality of control means for performing control for displaying on the display screen according to the start time of
The communication is performed, and the plurality of video display devices are based on the communication result.
The correction information for synchronizing the start time of each unit is controlled by the plurality of units.
And central control means feeding the means .

In such a video control system, each of the plurality of video display devices synchronously displays an image corresponding to the video information from the corresponding video source on the display screen. Therefore, one image (still image, moving image) is divided and represented by a plurality of video information, so that one image is displayed in synchronization on a plurality of display screens. Further, since one divided image is displayed on the display screen based on the video information from one video source, the resolution of the video information from the video source can be saved as the screen resolution on the display screen.

In the above video control system, the control for inputting the video information from the corresponding video source of each video display device and displaying the image based on the input video information on the display screen in a synchronized manner is facilitated. From the standpoint of being able to carry out the invention, the present invention provides
The central control means communicates with the plurality of control means.
Based on the result, own time and time for each of the plurality of control means
Time difference from the time and the plurality of control hands in consideration of the time difference
Calculate the start time for each step and calculate the time difference and start time.
The correction information may be supplied to the plurality of control means .

According to such a video control system, the control means can control the timing of giving an image display start command in each video display device, and the processing is relatively easy. Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned third problem, the video system according to the present invention has, as described in claim 3, a plurality of video sources in which video information is stored and a plurality of video sources respectively. provided corresponding, the video display device for displaying an image corresponding to the image information supplied to the display screen, is provided corresponding to each of said plurality of image display device, an image based on the image information
The display image is displayed according to the start time of each of the plurality of video display devices.
A plurality of control means for controlling the display on the screen ,
Communication is performed with the plurality of control means, and based on the communication result,
To synchronize the start time of each of the video display devices.
Central control means for supplying correction information to the plurality of control means
And with.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The video system according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured, for example, as shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, this system has a configuration in which a central controller 10 controls two systems A and B. Each A system, B
The system includes video control devices 20, 30, video display devices 21, 3
1, disk units 22, 32, LD unit 23,
33 and video screens 24, 34. The image control devices 20 and 30 are composed of ordinary personal computers, workstations, etc.
And LAN via a LAN. Each video control device 2
Video data of a still image is stored in the disk units 22 and 32 connected to 0 and 30, respectively.

Each of the video display devices 21 and 31 is composed of, for example, a high-definition video projector, and projects an image (still image or moving image) based on the video data on the corresponding screen 24 or 34. These screens 2
4 and 34 are, for example, 100 inches (width approximately 2 m, length approximately 1
The size is m), and the total of 2 sheets is approximately 4 m wide and 1 vertical.
A large m display screen (3840 horizontal pixels, 1035 vertical pixels) is formed. LD units 23 and 33 on which video discs are set are connected to the respective video display devices 21 and 31, and the video data of the moving image is supplied from the LD units 23 and 33 to the corresponding video display devices 21 and 31. It has become.

Each of the video control devices 20 and 30 supplies the video data of the still image from the disk units 22 and 32 to the corresponding video display devices 21 and 31, and the video display devices 2 respectively.
The control relating to the image display at 1 and 31 is performed. Further, each video control device 20, 30 has a corresponding video display device 21,
A command for reading out the video information (video data of a moving image) from the LD units 23 and 33 is issued to the LD 31, and control relating to the image display based on the video information can be performed.

Further, the central control unit 10 includes the above-mentioned A system and B system.
In addition to controlling the system, it also controls voice output. An acoustic control device 12 and a disk unit 14 are connected to the central control device 10. In the disk unit 14,
The acoustic information (audio signal) corresponding to the video information processed by each of the A system and the B system is stored. Under the control of the central control device 10, the sound control device 12 performs sound output control based on the sound information read from the disk unit 14.

In the video system configured as described above, the image display process is performed in accordance with the procedure shown in FIG. 2, for example. 2, the left column shows the processing procedure in the A-system video control device 20, the center column shows the processing procedure in the central control device 10, and the right column shows the B-system video control device. The processing procedure in 30 is shown. In FIG. 2, the entire process is divided into an initialization block, a synchronization block, and a program execution block.

First, in the initialization block, processing relating to the schedule of a video broadcast program is performed. That is, when the user uses the input unit (not shown) of the central control unit 10 to input program data including a scheduled broadcast time of a desired program and data for specifying the video data, the central control unit 10 takes in the program data. With (S0
1), supply to each video control device 20, 30. Thereby, each of the video control devices 20 and 30 also takes in the program data (S11, S21). Then, the central control device 10 develops the program schedule data on an internal memory (not shown) of the central control device 10 based on the program data input by the user.

As described above, in the initialization block,
After the program schedule data is loaded on the internal memory of the central control unit 10, the processing in the synchronization block is executed. In this synchronization block, the central control device 10 determines a broadcast program based on the program schedule data, and transmits a program ID specifying the broadcast program to each of the video control devices 20 and 30 (S011). Then, each video control device 20, 30 receives the program ID and stores it in the internal memory (not shown) of each video control device 20, 30 (S111, S211). After that, the central controller 10
Also, the video control devices 20 and 30 perform time synchronization processing (S0
12, S112, S212), and transmission / reception processing (S013, S113, S213) of the synchronization start time.

The central controller 10 performs the time synchronization processing (S012) and the synchronization start time transmission processing (S013) according to the procedure shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the time synchronization processing (S012) includes a synchronization block (S0121) with the A-system video control device 20 and a synchronization block (S0122) with the B-system video control device 30. In the block for synchronization with the A-system image control device 20 (S0121), the time adjustment between the timer serving as the reference for the operation timing of the central controller 10 and the timer serving as the reference for the operation timing of the A-system image control device 20 is performed. Done. The specific processing is performed, for example, according to the procedure shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, first, the central control unit 10 transmits a synchronization start notification command to the A-system image control unit 20 (S1). When the preparation completion notification is received from the A-system video control device 20 in response to this start notification command (S2), the central processing unit 10 executes the following processing. That is, the central controller 10 acquires the time a on its own timer (S3). The acquired time a is transmitted from the central controller 10 to the A-system image controller 20 (S4). Here, upon receiving the time a from the central control device 10, the A-system video control device 20 acquires the time w on its own timer at that time and returns the time w to the central control device 10 ( Time synchronization processing S112). When the central controller 10 receives the time w from the A-system video controller 20 (S5), it acquires the time b on its own timer at that time (S6). One set of time data (a, w, b) obtained as described above is stored in an internal memory (not shown) of the central processing unit 10.

The above processing (S3, S4, S5, S
6) is repeated a predetermined number of times. After that, the central control unit 10 calculates the minimum value c of the difference (ba) between the times a and b acquired from the timer of the central control unit 10 from the time data stored in the internal memory (S7). . Here, it is determined whether or not this minimum value c is an abnormal value (S
8) If it is not an abnormal value, the central control device 10 stores the acquisition time a when the time difference (ba) is the minimum value c in the internal memory as the representative time d of the central control device 10 (S9). ). Then, the central controller 10 further uses the timer of the A-system image controller 20 corresponding to the representative time d (= a) of the central controller 10 when the time difference (ba) becomes the minimum value c. Time x (A system video control device 20
Then, the representative time x) is calculated according to x = w−c / 2 (S10). This is the central controller 1
A at the center of time a and b acquired from the timer of 0
It is calculated based on the assumption that there is an acquisition time w from the timer of the video control device 20 of the system.

When it is determined that the minimum value c of the time difference (bc) is an abnormal value (greater than a predetermined upper limit reference value or less than a predetermined lower limit reference value) (Y in S8).
es), the times a, w, and b are again acquired by the central controller 10 and the A-system image controller 20, and the minimum value c of the time difference (ba) is recalculated. (S3
Through S8). Then, in this case, the representative time d of the central controller 10 and the corresponding representative time x of the A-system image controller 20 are calculated based on the data obtained by the recalculation (S9, S10).

As described above, the A-system image control device 2
When the processing in the synchronization block S0121 (see FIG. 3) with 0 is completed, the synchronization block S0122 (see FIG. 3) with the video control device 30 of the B system is displayed, for example, in FIG.
Executed according to. In the processing in the synchronization block with the B system video control device 30, the same processing steps S11 to S10 as the processing steps S1 to S10 in the synchronization block with the A system video control device 20 shown in FIG.
20 is executed. As a result, the representative time e of the central controller 10 and the corresponding representative time y of the B-system image controller 30 are calculated.

As described above, the central controller 10 and each A
Time synchronization processing (S012 and S1 in FIG. 2) while communicating with the video control devices 20 and 30 of the B and B systems.
12, S212) is completed, the central controller 10 performs the synchronization start time transmission process (S013), and the A system,
The B-system video control devices 20 and 30 correspondingly execute the synchronization start time reception processing (S113 and S213). The synchronization start time transmission process (S013) in the central controller 10 is composed of the synchronization notification block (S0131) shown in FIG. 3, and in this synchronization notification block, for example, as shown in FIG.
The process is performed according to the procedure shown in.

In FIG. 6, the central controller 10 determines a time (synchronization start time) q at which each system should start the synchronized operation (S21). This synchronization start time q can be set arbitrarily. After that, the central control device 10 calculates a difference r (= q−d) between the synchronization start time q and the representative time d determined between the A-system image control device 20 (S2).
2). Similarly, the difference s (= q between the synchronization start time q and the representative time e determined between the B system video control devices 30.
-E) is calculated (S23). Further, the central controller 1
In 0, a device-specific correction value α in consideration of the processing time in the central processing unit 10 is described in a predetermined file (not shown), and the central control unit 10 uses the device-specific correction value α.
Is read (S24).

Thereafter, the central control unit 10 adds the above-mentioned time difference r to the representative time x of the video control device 20 determined with the video control device 20 of the A system, and starts it in the A system. The time (x + r) and the difference (x−d) between the representative times d and x of the central controller 10 and the A-system image controller 20 are transmitted to the image controller 20 (S25). In addition,
The central controller 10 adds the time difference s and the device-specific correction value α to the representative time y of the video control device 30 determined with the video control device 30 of the B system. The start time (y + s + α) and the difference (y−) between the representative times e and y of the central controller 10 and the B system image controller 30.
e) is transmitted to the video control device 30 (S26).

As described above, the central controller 10 is
The start time (synchronization start time) q of the synchronization process is determined, and the A-system and B-system video control devices 20 and 30 corresponding to the synchronization start times are determined for the A-system and B-system video control devices 20 and 30. Start time (x + r), (y + s)
+ Α) is notified (S013 in FIG. 2). Further, at this time, the central control unit 10 sets the difference (x−x) between its own timer time and the timer times of the A and B image control devices 20 and 30.
d) and (y-e) are also notified to the corresponding video control devices 20 and 30.

Each of the A-system and B-system image control devices 2
0 and 30 are the start times (x + r) and (y + s +).
(α) is received together with the time difference (x-d) and (y-e) of each timer (S113, S213). As a result, each of the A-system and B-system video control devices 20 and 30 can recognize the synchronization disclosure time and also recognize the deviation between its own timer and the timer of the central control device 10.

As described above, when the time synchronization processing and the transmission / reception processing of the synchronization start time are completed, the central control unit 10
Creates an audio control command necessary for performing audio output based on the audio data of the broadcast program that has been determined (S014). The sound control command is expanded in the internal memory according to the broadcasting schedule of each program. In addition, the A-type and B-type image control devices 20 and 30
Creates a video control command necessary for broadcasting the program based on the received program ID (S114, S
214). This video control command is also expanded on the internal memory according to the schedule of each program.

The sound control command and the video control command are divided into a time designation command and an idle time command, respectively. The time designation command is such that the command execution time is designated so as to be executed in accordance with the program broadcasting schedule. This command execution time is the disclosure time (x + r) (A
System) and (y + s + α). The free time command is a command that should be arbitrarily executed during the designated time when the time designation command should be executed.

The format of each command is, for example, COMMAND parameter1 parameter2 parameter3 ... Here, "COMMAND" represents a process name to be executed, and "paramenter n" represents a parameter required for the process. For example, the command “transfer image data from memory number 12 to display memory A” is represented by Im_Move 12 A.

As described above, in the central control unit 10, the sound control command corresponding to the program schedule is created, and the A-system and B-system image control units 20, 3 are also provided.
At 0, when the video command corresponding to the program schedule is created, the process according to the procedure of the program execution block is performed (see FIG. 2). In this program execution block, in the central control device 10 and each of the A-system and B-system image control devices 20 and 30, a time monitoring process (S021, S121, S221) based on an internal timer, a time designation command execution process ( S022, S122, S222) and free time command execution processing (S023, S123, S2)
23) is repeatedly executed until the final command.

For example, 10 seconds after the synchronization start time and 2
When the still image is displayed on the screens 24 and 34 after 0 seconds, the commands are executed in the order shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Although FIGS. 7 and 8 describe the flow of processing in the A-system video control device 20, for example, the flow of processing in the B-system video control control device 30 and the central control device 10 is also basic. Are the same. In addition, the central controller 10
Starts the time monitoring process when its own timer reaches the synchronization start time q, and the A-system video control device 20 performs the time monitoring process when its own timer reaches the start time (x + r). Further, the B-system video control device 30 starts the time monitoring process when its own timer reaches the start time (y + s + α). That is, the central controller 10 and each of the A-system and B-system image control devices 20 and 30 simultaneously start time monitoring processing.

For example, in FIGS. 7 and 8, the idle time command and the time designation command are executed as follows. First, the data file α is opened (Im_Open
sampl e file α), the still image data recorded in the file is read out separately from the disk unit 22 to 10 times (Read_Disk 1-10). After the read still image data is stored in the general memory of the video control device 20, the data file α is closed (Im
_Close). Then, the still image data is transferred from the general memory to the image data dedicated memory 10 times (Move Mem 1 1 -1 10).

[0034] Thereafter, the data file beta is opened (Im_Open sampl e file β), the still image data recorded in the file is read out by dividing the disk unit 22 (Read Disk 1-10). During the reading process of the data file β, when the standby time for displaying the still image α is reached, the reading process of the data file β is interrupted (Read_Disk 5) and a predetermined time 9 seconds 20 from the start time. When the frame is reached, the still image data of the file α stored in the image data dedicated memory is transferred to the display memory (image memory) of the video display device 21 (Im_Move 1 A).

Then, the start time (x +
When 10 seconds have passed from d), a display command is issued from the video control device 20 to the video display device 21 (IM_Disp
A). As a result, the video display device 21 projects an image formed based on the still image data stored in the display memory on the screen 24. At this time, at the same time (when 10 seconds have passed from the start time (y + s + α) on the B system timer), the B system image display device 31 reads from the disk unit 32 under the control of the B system image control device 30. An image formed based on the extracted still image data is projected on the screen 34. Further, at the same time (central controller 10
The sound data stored in the disk unit 14 is supplied to the sound control device 12 under the control of the central control device 10 at the time point when 10 seconds have elapsed from the start time q by the timer of (1), and based on this sound data. Sound is output.

If one still image is described by the A system still image data and the B system still image data, one large still image (horizontal image) is displayed on each screen 24, 34. About 4 m and about 1 m in the vertical direction) are projected separately. In this case, video information (still image data) from one video source is supplied to one video display device as it is without any processing such as division and enlargement, and image display based on the video information is performed. Therefore, a high-definition image (still image) without deterioration in resolution is displayed on the two screens 24,
34 is displayed on a large screen connected to each other.

Further, each of the A-system and B-system image control devices 20,
By adding different video effects to the still image data stored in the disk units 22 and 32 connected to 30, it is possible to give different video effects to the images projected on the screens 24 and 34, respectively. it can. As described above, after the image display command of the file α is issued 10 seconds after the start time, the video control device 20 restarts the processing of the read command of the still image data from the file β (see FIG. 8), Read_Disk 6-10). Then, after the still image data read in 10 times in total is stored in the general memory of the video control device 20, the data file β is closed (Im_Close). Then, from this general memory to the image data dedicated memory,
Still image data is transferred in batches (Move Mem2 1
-2 10).

As described above, after the still image of the file β is read into the image data dedicated memory of the video control device 20, if there is no command to be processed, the video control device 20 only monitors the time and waits. It becomes a state. And
At the standby time for displaying the still image β again, the still image data of the file β stored in the image data dedicated memory is transferred to the video display device 21 when the predetermined time 19 seconds 20 frames has been reached from the start time. Is transferred to the display memory (image memory) (Im_Move2 B).

Then, the start time (x +
When 20 seconds have passed from d), the video control device 20 issues a display command to the video display device 21 (IM_Disp
A). As a result, the video display device 21 projects an image formed based on the still image data stored in the display memory on the screen 24. At this time, B system (video processing)
Also, in the system (acoustic processing) in the central control device 10, processing is executed in the same procedure as described above.

In the above example, the processing for displaying a still image has been described, but the processing is basically executed in the same procedure also for displaying a moving image. That is, after performing the time adjustment processing between the central control device 10 and the A-system and B-system video control devices 20 and 30, the video display devices 21 to which the video control devices 20 and 30 correspond in accordance with the program schedule. The timing control of the read-out display command of the video data from the LD units 23 and 33 is performed on the 31.

Although the above system is composed of two video control systems (A system and B system),
The present invention is not limited to this, and can be configured with a plurality of three or more video control systems. Further, although the system related to sound is configured in the central control device 10, for example, it is also possible to configure one video system so as to also serve as the system related to sound, or to configure a system related to sound separately from the central control device 10. It can be configured to be provided. Furthermore, in a video system that handles only programs that do not require audio output, it is not necessary to provide a system related to sound.

In the above example, the functions of the central controller 10 and the respective video controllers 20, 30 correspond to the control means.
Further, the time designation command execution processing (see S122 and S222 in FIG. 2) in each of the video control devices 20 and 30 corresponds to the video display start control means, and the time synchronization processing and the synchronization start time transmission processing (synchronization data notification block). (See FIG. 2, S012, S013 (FIG. 3, S0131)) corresponds to the synchronization control means.

[0043]

As described above, according to the present invention described in claims 1 and 2, one divided image is displayed on the display screen based on the video information from one video source. Therefore, the resolution of the video information from the video source can be saved as the resolution of the screen on the display screen. As a result, a large image can be displayed on a plurality of display screens with high resolution without lowering the resolution.

Further, by storing the video information to which the video effect is added for each video source, it is possible to easily give a free video effect to each image to be divided and displayed. Further, according to the present invention described in claims 3 to 4, it is possible to provide a video system using the video control system having the above effects.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a video system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure of processing in a central control device and each video control device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a more detailed procedure of steps S012 and S013 in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a more detailed procedure of step S0121 in FIG.

5 is a flowchart showing a more detailed procedure of step S0122 in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a more detailed procedure of step S0131 in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a procedure (part 1) of command execution processing.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a procedure (part 2) of command execution processing.

[Explanation of symbols] 10 Central control unit 12 disk units 14 Sound control device 20 Video control device 21 Video display device 22 Disk unit 23 LD unit 24 screen 30 Video control device 31 Video display device 32 disk units 33 LD unit 34 screen

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Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of video sources storing video information,
It is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of video sources and provided.
Image corresponding to the video information to be displayed on the display screen.
RupluralFor video control systems that control video display devices
Be carefulThe plurality of Each of the video display deviceToCorrespondenceIs provided by
TheImages based on video informationFor each of the plurality of video display devices
According to the start time ofControl to display
DopluralControl meansWhen, Communication is performed with the plurality of control means, and based on the communication result,
To synchronize the start time of each of the video display devices.
Central control means for supplying correction information to the plurality of control means
When Video control system having a. 2. The video control system according to claim 1, wherein the central control means performs the control with the plurality of control means.
Based on the communication result, its own time and each of the plurality of control means
Time difference from the time and the plurality of controls considering the time difference.
Calculate the start time for each control method and calculate the time difference and start time
Is supplied to the plurality of control means as correction information.
Characteristic video control system. 3. A plurality of video sources storing video information, It is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of video sources and provided.
Image corresponding to the video information to be displayed on the display screen.
Video display device,The plurality of Each of the video display deviceToCorrespondenceIs provided by
TheImages based on video informationFor each of the plurality of video display devices
According to the start time ofControl to display
DopluralControl meansWhen, Communication is performed with the plurality of control means, and based on the communication result,
To synchronize the start time of each of the video display devices.
Central control means for supplying correction information to the plurality of control means
When Video system having. 4. The video system according to claim 3, wherein the central control means is arranged between the plurality of control means.
Based on the communication result, its own time and each of the plurality of control means
Time difference and said plurality of control in consideration of the time difference between the time of
Calculate the start time for each control method and calculate the time difference and start time
Is supplied to the plurality of control means as correction information.
Characteristic video system.